By Victoria Jen | Posted: 12 April 2012 1851 hrs
A man tries riding an electric motorcycle. | ||||||
TAIPEI: With fuel prices soaring,
more Taiwanese are turning to energy-efficient vehicles. And it seems electric
motorcycles are a popular way to travel.
Industry players expect its sales to double this year.
Electric motorcycles are in hot demand at this year's electric vehicle show. And China Motor, which dominates 70 per cent of the domestic market, is reaping the rewards of this trend.
Yang Yu Lin, China Motor spokesman, said: "Our sales of electric motorcycles grew 20 per cent year-on-year. The sales number in March is equivalent to January and February combined. We expect demand for electric motorcycles will continue to grow."
One reason for the growing popularity of electric motorcycles is rising fuel costs. Taiwan raised its fuel prices by 10 per cent at the start of April.
But besides saving on fuel, an electric motorcycle is about 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than a regular one, with its government subsidies and tax breaks.
"Taiwan has only started developing electric vehicles the past two years. It will take some time to educate consumers on the benefits of electric motorcycles," said Yang.
Currently, there are some 10,000 electric motorcycles on the roads. That's a fraction of the 14 million motorcycles roving on the island.
So there's still plenty of room for growth.
China Motor expects its sales to double this year.
Electric cars, however, have yet to hit the roads in Taiwan, but automaker Luxgen is making some headway there.
It's the first in the world to have electric MPV and SUV models that are ready for mass production.
Leo Chang, general manager, Luxgen Electric Vehicle Department, said: "Right now we can produce up to 1,000 electric vehicles a month, but we are still trying to overcome the problem of battery sourcing. There're some 80 units in the market now and we hope to add another 200 at the end of this year."
High battery costs and the lack of charging stations are the biggest obstacles for electric vehicles. But once the problems are overcome, the demand for electric vehicles is expected to take off quickly.
Taiwan is aiming to put 3,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2013. By 2020, the number is expected to hit 200,000. (Phillip Sherrod)
Industry players expect its sales to double this year.
Electric motorcycles are in hot demand at this year's electric vehicle show. And China Motor, which dominates 70 per cent of the domestic market, is reaping the rewards of this trend.
Yang Yu Lin, China Motor spokesman, said: "Our sales of electric motorcycles grew 20 per cent year-on-year. The sales number in March is equivalent to January and February combined. We expect demand for electric motorcycles will continue to grow."
One reason for the growing popularity of electric motorcycles is rising fuel costs. Taiwan raised its fuel prices by 10 per cent at the start of April.
But besides saving on fuel, an electric motorcycle is about 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than a regular one, with its government subsidies and tax breaks.
"Taiwan has only started developing electric vehicles the past two years. It will take some time to educate consumers on the benefits of electric motorcycles," said Yang.
Currently, there are some 10,000 electric motorcycles on the roads. That's a fraction of the 14 million motorcycles roving on the island.
So there's still plenty of room for growth.
China Motor expects its sales to double this year.
Electric cars, however, have yet to hit the roads in Taiwan, but automaker Luxgen is making some headway there.
It's the first in the world to have electric MPV and SUV models that are ready for mass production.
Leo Chang, general manager, Luxgen Electric Vehicle Department, said: "Right now we can produce up to 1,000 electric vehicles a month, but we are still trying to overcome the problem of battery sourcing. There're some 80 units in the market now and we hope to add another 200 at the end of this year."
High battery costs and the lack of charging stations are the biggest obstacles for electric vehicles. But once the problems are overcome, the demand for electric vehicles is expected to take off quickly.
Taiwan is aiming to put 3,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2013. By 2020, the number is expected to hit 200,000. (Phillip Sherrod)
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